MTRCB imposes strict measures over PBB 373 to ensure protection of minor housemates
Hulyo 14, 2015The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) imposed strict measures and closer collaboration with ABS-CBN Corp. and SkyCable Corporation as a result of the mandatory conference held Thursday. The conference meant to address various issues and concerns regarding the protection of the welfare and development of minor “housemates” in the television program “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) 737” (and as regards other concerns about self-regulation).
Such issues and
concerns were covered by the Board’s 03 July 2015 letter sent to said entities
alleging complaints or feedback coming from some parents as well as the
National Youth Commission (NYC) in regard to, among others, the cable 24/7
version of the program and its regular free TV version over Channel 2.
Earlier, the Board
also sent a letter dated 29 June 2015 asking ABS-CBN to attend the 09 July 2015
conference to consider measures on how best to protect minors in regard to the
said program. Serious feedback coming from both the private and public sectors
prompted the Board to incorporate into the mandatory conference consideration
of overall theme and scenes placing minors in situations tending to compromise
their naturally fragile personalities and for the entities concerned to explain
their side.
The conference,
handled by the Board’s Hearing Committee for the purpose – chaired by Board
Member (BM)/Atty. Ricardo Salomon, with members BM Ma. Carmen Musngi and BM
Cecilia Nubla, was attended by ABS-CBN Corporation represented by its various
program executives, namely: Mr. Laurenti M. Dyogi, Head, TV Production
Entertainment; Mr. Jon Moll, Director; Mr. Raymond Dizon, Business Unit Head;
Mr. Marcus Vinuya, Creative Manager; Ms. Cynthia Jordan, Production Manager;
Mr. Matthew Salegumba, Story Editor; Ms. Merce Gonzales, Production Manager;
Ms. Marpua Engking, Head Reasearcher; Ms. Charmaina Estrera, Program Producer;
Atty. Monalisa Manalo, Legal Counsel; Program Executives’ Anna Ilada, Marcella
Panaguiton, JR dela Cerna, Krystel Agnote, Kane Errol Choa, and Rae Ann Ducut;
and Sky Cable Corporation, the program provider on cable television Sky Channel
85, represented by its Ms. Cora Santiago and legal counsel Attys. Agatha
Zapanta-De Jesus and Carmi Tugday.
Also in attendance
were different resource persons who also wrote to the Board their concerns over
the program: Dr. Zandro G. Rapadas of the U.P. College of Mass Communication
and Ms. Arlene S. Lacson.
In addition,
various resource persons were also invited to share their inputs and expertise
to help and guide the Board and the summoned entities to come up with
appropriate and comprehensive self-regulatory and remedial measures to address
concerns such as mature or adult language, huddling close in bed, the lack of
adequate adult supervision, to name some: Hon. Earl P. Saavedra, Commissioner
of the National Youth Commission; Hon. Delia Hernandez, Executive Director of
the National Council for Children’s Television; Hon. Patricia Luna, Executive
Director of the Council for the Welfare of Children; Ms. Irma Valiente, Ms.
Norline Jacobo, and Ms. Maribeth Casib from the Department of Labor and
Employment-National Capital Region; Attys. Ryan Jeremiah Donato Quan and Jamie
Ann Reyes of the Ateneo Human Rights Center; Dra. Georgina Gozo-Oliver of the
Philippine Psychiatric Association; Sr. Ma. Consolata Manding, FSP of the
Daughters of Saint Paul; Ms. Ma. Patricia Boton; Ms. Christine E. Gomez;
Director Jose Javier Reyes; and psychlogist Fr. Filoteo Mangulabnan, S.J..
In an opening
message, MTRCB Chairperson Eugenio Villareal addressed all participants,
stating that the subject matter of the conference is beyond the show PBB 737
but is more importantly about the welfare and value of children and the family.
Chair Toto also appealed for openness and initiative of all participants as he
noted that we are all formators and educators and that we want our children to
be people with character.
Different issues
and concerns were addressed during the conference especially on the aspect of
cultural sensitivity and how the show addresses the vulnerability of the minor
housemates – which even include a 12 year old boy.
NYC Commissioner
Saavedra addressed concern over the supervisory role of PBB 737’s “resident
psychologist,” especially on the issue of sexual preference as well as the
over-all psychological and moral development of the housemates. On the matter of the program’s targeted young
audience, and citing an NYC report, Comm. Saavedra stressed that the portrayal
of modern identity of Filipino youth is important especially that media has
great impact to young people and that TV is a major source of information.
Resource persons
from AHRC, DOLE and CWC asked if the show has protective mechanisms in place
for the minors and if there are interventions for parents.
Veteran director
and academician Joey Javier Reyes raised concern over the lives of the minor
housemates after PBB especially in regard to stigmas and seemingly bad
reputation that may plagued some housemates as a result of social media.
Director Reyes then stressed the important role of media in protecting the
lives of the children, making the media the new “Babaylan.”
ABS-CBN and PBB
responded to all the issues and concerns raised by the resource persons and
were very open to the suggestions made by the participants. ABS-CBN TV
Executive Laurenti Dyogi told that they are mindful of their responsibility
towards the housemates and have regular assessments of the show and that the
housemates are undergoing regular sessions with the team and their
psychologist.
From the long
discussions and careful deliberation, MTRCB will now work closely with PBB 737
until the end of the show by imposing specific actions and guidelines to ensure
that the welfare of the minor housemates are of utmost importance.
MTRCB has required
both the network and the cable company to institute remedial and
self-regulatory measures to ensure the protection, welfare and development of
all participants of the show. This is also to make sure that housemates will
not be engaged in activities and tasks which may be hazardous to their life and
safety. Relevantly, the management and production team, with legal counsel,
were active in contributing to the remedial measures contained in the order
issued at the end of mandatory conference.
All story editors are required to undergo a Matalinong Panonood and audience-sensitivity seminar to be
conducted by Chairperson Villareal on a rotational basis every Thursday at the
MTRCB office.
An advisory at the beginning of each episode must be placed stating the
following: “This program may contain
sensitive material. Viewer discretion is advised.” Further, starting July
10, the classification rating of PBB 737 Gold will now be SPG with at least
descriptors pertaining to “Theme” (T), “Language” (L), and “Sex” (S).
And to address the needs and vulnerabilities not only of the participants
but also the audience, a comprehensive “closing-out” discussion by a
subject-matter expert after the completion of every task or challenge in regard
to the precise lesson, learning or virtue to be imparted shall be implemented.
This is actually a reiteration of a best practice of policy formulated and
tested after the so-called “Nude Painting” controversy during the last PBB
season.
The MTRCB thanked all participants in the mandatory
conference for their initiative and cooperation.◘
ORDER
This is a mandatory conference meant to address the alleged failure
to protect the welfare and development of minor "housemates" in the
television program "Pinoy Big Brotber (PBB) 737, " as well as the general
viewing public, a sizable percentage of which consists of minors, and
other concerns about self-regulation. This case arose from the numerous
complaints and concerns monitored by the Board about some scenes in
PBB 737 that offend the sensibilities of the viewiag public such as but
not limited to the alleged "bromance" between an l8-year old Karlos
Lorerzo "Ker:zo" Gutierrez a,nd, l2-year old Bailey Thomas May; the
huddling together and engaging in flirtatious talks and actions among
male and female housemates; the indecent proposal by housemate Ryan
to his co-male housemate if the latter could be his "mistress;,, and the
intetaction with non-Muslim males and Iack of privacy of a young
Muslim woman.
Called for this conference was ABS-CBN Corporation, the
program producer and program provider on free television, represented
by its various program executives, namely: Mr. Laurenti M. Dyogi, Head, TV Production Entertainment; Mr. Jon Moll, Director; Mr. Raymond
Dizon, Business Unit Head; Mr. Marcus Vinuya, Creative Manager; Ms.
Cynthia Jordan, Production Manager; Ms. Merce Gonzales, proiuction
Manager; Ms. Marpua Engking, Head Researcher; Ms. Charmaine
Estrera, Program Producer; Atty. Monalisa Manalo, Legal counsel, and
>e
Program Executives' Ms. Anna Ilada; Mercella Panaguiton, JR Dela
Cerna, Krystel Agnote, Kane Errol Choa, and Rae Anne Ducut; and Sky
Cable Corporation, the program provider on cable television Sky
Channel 85, represented by its Ms. Cora Santiago, and its Legal
Counsels' Attys. Agatha Ztparta,-De Jesus and Carmi V. Tugday.
Likewise invited for this conference are the following, all of whom
wrote the Board their coflcern over the program: Dr. Zatd,ro G. Rapadas
of the U.P. College of Mass Communication and Ms. Arlene S. Lacson.
Also in attendance were the following resource persons invited by
the Board for their subject matter expertise and inputs to aid and guide
the Board and the respondents in coming up with an appropriate
resolution that upholds the best interests of the children, to wit: Hon.
E arl P. Saavedra, Commissioner of the National Youth Commission;
Hon. Delia Hetnatdez, Executive Director of the National Council for
Children's Television; Hon. Patricia Lttnz, Executive Director of the
Council for the $Telfare of Children; Ms. Irma S. Valiente, Ms. Norline
Jacobo, and Ms. Maribeth Casib of the Department of Labor and
Employment-National Capital Region; Attys. Ryan Jeremiah Donato
Quan and Jaymie Ann Reyes of the Ateneo Humao Rights Centey D:i-:.
Georgina Gozo-Oliver of the Philippine Psychiatric Association; Sr. Ma.
Consolata Manding, FSP of the Daughters of Saint Paul; Ms. Ma. Patricia
Boton; Ms. Christine E. Gomez; Director Jose Javier Reyes; and
psychologist Fr. Filoteo Mangulabnan, S.J.
This Committee informed the respondents of the cause and nature
of the probable violation/s of the program. The complaining witnesses
gave their respective statements about some scenes in PBBT 37 that they
deem offensive to their sensibilities.
After considering the respective positions of the concerned
citizens, resource persofls, and involved government agencies, and of the
respondents, vis-a-vis the valuable insights and opinions of the invited
resource persons, this Committee orders ABS-CBN Corporation, as
program provider of PBB 737, PBB 737 Gold, both shown in ABS-CBN
Channel 2, and PBB Online, shown in Sky Cable Channel 9, as follows:
a) To immediately institute remedial and self-regulatory
measures to ensure the protection, welfare and development
of all the participaflts of PBB 737, especially those who are
still miaors, as well as the viewing public, a sizable
percentage of which is made up of minors; and within five
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(5) days from the date of this order, to submit these
measures to this Committee for proper approval;
b) To immediately cease and desist from requiring participants
to engage in activities and tasks which may be deemed to be
hazardous to their life and safety, or prejudicial to their
physical, psychological, emotional, moral, spiritual, and social
well-being, as cootemplated in R.A. 7670, as amended, and
other related laws;
c) To enter into a strict and close collaboration with the Board,
beginning today until the end of the PBB737 season, during
which period the respondent program shall undertake such
further concrete remedial and self-regulatory measures to
address all welfare coflcerns and development protection of
children, referring to both the participants and the viewers;
d) To require all story editors to undergo a "Matalirong
Panonood" and audience- sensitivity seminar on rotation basis
to be conducted by the Chairpetson of the Board every
Thursday at 2:00 p.m. to be held at the MTRCB office,
particularly or 16,23,30 July 2015. The program is tasked to
submit to the Office of the Chairperson no later than five (5)
days from the date of this order, the list of story editors aad
the corresponding days on which they will attend the
seminar;
e) ABS-CBN and Sky Cable, as the case may be, and for as long
as there are minor housemates inside the Big Brother house,
are required to place an advisory at the beginning of each
episode o f the three programs stating the following: "This
program may contain sensitive material. Viewer discretion is
advised;" provided: that the above limitation as to having
minor housemates inside the house shall be without prejudice
to having afly similar advisory if for some other reason the
same may be required;
f) To elevate the rating classification in PBB 737 Gold from
"PG" to *SPG," with at least the descriptors "Theme,"
"Language," and "Sex," startiflg 10 July 2015 until the end of
the season, or for as long as there are minor housemates in
the house, whichever comes first. As for Sky Cable's, Jeepney
Channel, said cable nerwork is hereby requited to display the
'SPG" pictogram in all episodes starting from 10 July 2015
up to the end of the season, or for as long as there are minor
housemates in the house, whichever comes first;
g) To limit its application for permit to exhibit to seven (7)
episodes per application in order to ensure the correct and
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proper implementation of the committed remedial and selfregulatory
measures;
h) To strictly implement a comprehensive "closing-out"
discussion by a subiect-matter expert after the completion of
every task or challenge for the proper understanding of the
lesson, learning, ar.dfor virtue sought to be achieved, as well
as value to be upheld, from each task or challenge so
undertaken; and
i) To ensure all parallel broadcast of PBB 737 it cable
television and in other media, including social media, shall
not be in contravention with the directives and obiectives of
this Order, as well as any and all relevant provision of
Presidential Decree No. 1986, and its Implementing Rules
and Regulations.
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